


Just Another High School Love Story

by professor03



Category: Walking Dead, Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: High School AU, M/M, Slow Build, super cliche high school au, the rating is probs gonna change at some point
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-02
Updated: 2014-07-08
Packaged: 2018-02-07 05:01:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1886055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/professor03/pseuds/professor03
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When high school student Daryl Dixon realizes he's on the same path as his brother, he gets himself a tutor. Things only look up from there..</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! This is my first Rickyl fic and also my first AU fic so please be gentle! I hope you like it!

All things considered, Daryl and Rick shouldn’t have been together. There shouldn’t have been any attraction or connection between the two, yet there was there. Maybe there is some merit to the phrase “Opposites attract,” because that’s just what Rick and Daryl were, opposites.   
Rick Grimes was the kind of guy that everyone loved and hated because he told it how it was and at some point that bites everyone in the ass. He showed up to the school functions he was supposed to and won the awards he was expected to. And okay maybe he wasn’t the best with the ladies but that wasn’t really his department. On the rare occasion that Daryl Dixon graced his school with his presence, it wasn’t for long and it was never for academic purposes. After his arrival, whispers of it spread quickly through the hallways, most of them whispers of disgust and disbelief. Daryl lived in the filthy, murky shadow of his older brother, Merle, and he did little to leave it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the first three calls from the school went unanswered and unreturned, it was time for letters to be sent. The letters met the same response as the calls, however that wasn’t unexpected, as the Dixons were not known for their timely and courteous replies. It was only when Daryl made an appearance at school, that the issue was finally addressed. Upon walking past the office and being seen by Mr. Greene, the principal, Daryl was dragged into his office and promptly sat down in a chair that seemed far too relaxing to belong in the office of a high school principal.

“I can assume that you understand why I asked you in here, right?” If Daryl could be grateful about anything in the situation he was currently in, it was that Mr. Greene was a benevolent and patient man. “Daryl, at the rate you are going, you are not going to graduate with your classmates. Or graduate at all really, if I’m going to be completely honest. You need to start regularly coming to school or I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” Daryl just looked down and picked at his nails. Realizing that Daryl wasn’t going to speak, Mr. Greene continued. “Mr. Dixon, do you understand the severity of what will happen if you don’t change something? I’m sending you to guidance so you can work out a schedule so that you can graduate on time. Do you know who your guidance counselor is?”

“No, sir.” Daryl had never thought about graduating but was determined to turn out better than Merle and his good-for-nothing father. The sudden understanding that he may not graduate at all concerned him greatly.

“You’re in the first half of the alphabet, so Mr. Horvath is your guidance counselor. I’ve already spoken to him about some things you can do so I’m sure he’ll be glad to see you and get things going. You can head over there now.” As Daryl stood and turned to walk to the door Mr. Greene spoke again. “Daryl, it’s good to see you. I hope you can get back on track. You’re a good kid.” With a nod of acknowledgment, Daryl turned the handle and left.

After a short walk, Daryl arrived at the Guidance offices and was ushered into Mr. Horvath’s room. He was soon being handed papers and books and packets with work he needed to complete and lessons he skipped. 

“I know it’s a lot of work and I’m sure you’re more than capable of completing it but I’m not sure you have all the information you need, especially after missing so much school. So to help you out, I’ve asked one of your classmates to help you out after school three days a week, which is pretty rigorous but you’re going to need the help if you really want to graduate on time. I’m sure you know Rick Grimes?”

Daryl nodded and replied with a gruff, “Yeah, I do.” Mr. Horvath placed a few more papers on the stack and said, “Great, your first session is today. Swing by here after your last class and we can get everything set up, alright?” As Mr. Horvath finished, the bell rang. Daryl left the office and entered the crowded hallway feeling a strange mixture of foreboding and something that resembled hope.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2! :)

As the rest of the day wound on and the clocks ticked closer and closer to 3:15, the pit growing in Daryl’s stomach grew to the point where it felt as though it would entirely consume him. He spent more time than not thinking about how bad it would be to just leave after his last class and not meet with Rick and Mr. Horvath. In the end, he wound up back in Mr. Horvath’s office with nails picked down to bloody stumps.

A few minutes after Daryl had arrived and taken a seat, Rick showed up with an armful of textbooks. He set them on the floor next to the chair he promptly sat down in. Daryl glanced over at Rick to see him smiling back. He quickly dropped his gaze and Mr. Horvath began speaking.

“Glad to see that we’re all here. I’m sure you two have met before so there’s isn’t much of a need for an introduction.” He handed them each a small packet of paper. Daryl took it and looked at the front page before folding it in half. Rick rifled through his as Mr. Horvath spoke again. “In the packet I just gave you is a rough outline of the progress you’ll have to make on your schoolwork, Daryl. It’s not absolute of course but you should try to stick as close as you can to those deadlines. Rick, it’s up to you to help him met all the deadlines he can and to help him understand the material. That being said all of your teachers are aware of your renewed interest in your education and welcome you to go after class and get any help that you need.” At this point Mr. Horvath paused and looked pointedly at Daryl, waiting for a response. 

After an awkward pause and a cough, Daryl spoke. “Uh yes, sir.” Mr. Horvath clapped his hands and stood. “I’ll let you two go now so you can get started on all the work. Good luck boys and if you have any questions, just drop by.” He gestured to the door and the two students left.

Once the door to the Guidance Offices snicked close behind Daryl and Rick, the two stood in the empty hallway facing each other. Neither said anything until Rick shifted the books in his arms. “Uh we should probably go some place to get started on this, right?”

Daryl looked at his feet as he replied, “Yeah, I guess. Any place but here though, I can’t stand it here.” He peered upwards in time to see Rick nod slightly and look over his shoulder as he said, “I guess we could go to that burrito place downtown, if that works for you?” Rick motioned with his head down the hall leading to the school’s front doors. Daryl’s agreement came in the form of following Rick out the door and down the street.

***************************

Upon arriving at said burrito place and finding a table to sit at, Daryl and Rick sat in an uncomfortable silence before Rick reached into his bag and cleared his throat. “We should probably get started if you’re really serious about this.” Rick was looking down at the packet Mr. Horvath had given them both.

“Course I’m serious ‘bout this. You tryin’ to say I ain’t?” Daryl finally looked Rick in the eyes as he snapped up from the papers he was looking at. Daryl’s voice held a challenge and the fighting spirit he and his brother were known for.

“No, I, uh, sorry,” Rick mumbled as he dropped his eyes and looked back down at the packet. “Not for nothing, Daryl, but you don’t really come across as the type of guy that particularly cares about school.” He again reached into his bag and pulled out a Chemistry textbook. 

“S’alright. I know that. And I got my reasons,” Daryl replied firmly, leaving no room for a conversation about his reasons. He looked at Rick’s book and asked, “That’s what we’re starting with? I ain’t got one of those books.” His voice dropped of at the end, partially due to his shame and unpreparedness and partially because he was beginning to realize that getting back on track was going to be more difficult than he had anticipated.

Rick slowly closed his book as he said, “That’s alright. We can start with something else till you get a book. I’m sure Mr. Horvath can get you one. Maybe today we should just start planning this out?” Rick raised his brows as he finished the question. “And maybe we can some burritos because I’m starving.”

“That sounds good,” Daryl replied and for the first time all day he managed a small smile. He may not have been that great of a guy but he was a decent judge of character. Rick was by no means a saint but there were definitely far worse people that Daryl could’ve been stuck with to do this. He stood and walked over to the counter with Rick. He grabbed his thin, worn-out wallet after he and Rick placed their order. Rick stopped him though, saying, “Don’t worry about this, I got it. We’re in this for the long haul so we might as well be friends, right?” And for the second time in less than ten minutes Daryl was smiling back at him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! This was done on my phone so please excuse any typos or weird formatting. I hope you enjoy it!

Later that night, as he lay on his too old, too dirty mattress, Daryl had a lot to think about. In the span of a few hours, his whole world had been upended. When he had gone to school that morning, he had been making a run for Merle, whose only means of income was selling drugs to high schoolers. He had meant to stop and check in with his regulars, collect payment, and drop some stuff off.

When he really thought about it, Daryl would have never made any type of investment in his education. In fact, he would’ve dropped out already if Merle hadn’t have needed him to be there. But now that he had a chance to get himself out his current hellhole of a life, he might take it. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy, he wasn’t that naïve but upon realizing that he wasn’t at all prepared, Daryl recognized that he was in for more than he anticipated. He spent more of that night wondering if doing this was actually going to help him or if it was just in his genes to be a good for nothing punk living in a ratty trailer. He spent a good portion of the early morning hours hoping that the latter wasn’t the case.

**************************** 

When he arrived at school the next morning, he stopped by Mr. Horvath’s office to discuss the predicament with his textbooks. After sitting outside the office waiting for another student to finish their discussion, he was warmly welcomed into Mr. Horvath’s room and ushered into a seat.

“It’s wonderful to see you here, Daryl. I can assume that you didn’t come by just to say ‘Good morning.’ What can I help you with?” Mr. Horvath spoke as he turned to open his window and took a watering can from under his desk.

Daryl shifted slightly before speaking. “I came because I have a question about some of my books.” He paused waiting for a sign of acknowledgement, which was received when Mr. Horvath turned from the pot of plants outside his window to look at Daryl.

“Go on, son. I’m listening; I’ve just got to water these before I forget. They were a gift, it’d be a shame if I let them die.” He turned back around and continued watering.

“Sir, it’s just that I never bothered to get any of them,” Daryl’s voice was quiet as he looked down at his hands. For a short moment the only sound in the room was the faint trickling of water on leaves, then the window slamming closed. Mr. Horvath replaced the watering can, smacked his hands together, and then sat down in his chair.

“Oh that shouldn’t be a problem at all. All the teachers have extras in their rooms, just ask when you go to class. Any other issues at the moment? How’d your session with Rick go yesterday?” He typed as spoke, logging into his computer, only looking up at Daryl occasionally.

Daryl smiled quickly before clearing his throat. “It was good, since I didn’t have my books we didn’t do much learning but we got to setting out a plan and everything.” When he finished, he met eyes with Mr. Horvath.  
“That’s great to hear, Daryl. It sounds like you two will work really well together. I’m glad it worked out that way. Now, I’m sure you’ve got things to do and people to see before school starts so you can head on out now.” Daryl rose and nodded at Mr. Horvath. “Have a good day, Daryl.”

“You too, sir,” Daryl replied as he closed the door behind himself.

*******************************

In each of his classes that day, Daryl felt out of place. He knew that he would after all he had made a point of not associating with anyone in the school. He went through the day, talking to teachers and asking for books, all of who replied with the expected amount of condescending approval and enthusiasm for his renewed interest. Other than that he didn't go out of his way to talk to anybody. 

Daryl wasn’t expecting any type of friendly welcome back from his peers or really any type of friendly interaction so when Rick waved him over at lunch it was a bit of a shock. Daryl walked over to stand behind him and looked down at Rick, waiting for him to say something.

“Are you gonna sit with us or just stand there?” The way Rick said it was in a kindhearted joking way. Rick was sitting with a group of kids that Daryl would’ve never otherwise spoken to. It was a ragtag group of kids who really shouldn’t have been friends in Daryl’s opinion. Rick scoot a littler further down the bench and pat the spot next to him. Daryl hesitantly sat down on the side of Rick that was away from the rest of the group.

“I’m not really sure you know the crew here so I’ll just introduce everyone to you,” Rick smiled as spoke. Daryl brought a hand to his mouth and started biting a nail. “Across from you is Glenn, next to him is Maggie. Her sister Beth is next to her. Next to Beth is Andrea. Next to me is Shane and next to him is Lori. And Carol is way down at the end next to Lori.” Everyone smiled or wave at Daryl when introduced and in return Daryl nodded to the group. “I know it was a lot but I’m sure you’ll get to know everyone eventually,” Rick picked up his sandwich as he spoke and took a bit when he finished.

As lunch progressed and everyone chatted, Daryl sat quietly and listened. He didn't particularly mind only listening but it must have bothered Rick because he kept dragging him into conversations. Daryl would reply in one or two word answers and only spoke when spoken to. When Rick's conversation died down, he turned to Daryl.

"So did you talk to Mr. Horvath yet?" He turned the bag of chips he was eating towards Daryl and motioned with his hand. Daryl reached into it as he answered. 

"Yeah, this morning. All my teachers have spares for me so I can get 'em all today," as he ended he shoved some chips in his mouth. "So we can start for real whenever you got time." Daryl's voice was light as he said it.

"You up for burritos again tomorrow then?" Rick grinned as he grabbed some chips which he promptly put in his mouth. 

"Sounds like a plan," Daryl said as he started to think that this whole thing might actually work out in his favor.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter 4! Hope you like it!

“We should probably just go straight for it, right?” Rick spoke through his burrito as he flipped open a textbook. “I mean I can’t really think of any other way to do it then that.” 

Daryl wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and grabbed the same book as Rick. Rick handed him a list of assignments he had hand written in something akin to chicken scratch. 

“I think that by the end of the week, you can get these done. I know it looks like a lot but it’s mostly real easy work,” Rick said. “We should start with that first one today. It’ll definitely take the most time and when we meet again on Friday we can work on the rest.” Daryl nodded his agreement as he reached into bag to slap a notebook on the small table.

The two boys sat at the table as customers filtered in and out of the restaurant and the sun set. They poured over their books and took notes and jotted down ideas for what would be Daryl’s first real high school essay. While they did so, they started to become more at ease around each other and with their task. It was only when the girl who was working the last shift called over the counter that it was closing time did they realize how late it actually was and how much work they had done.

“I think all you really need to do now is type this all up and you’re set,” Rick said as he read over all that Daryl had written down. “You could probably get this in by tomorrow. Start this whole ordeal off with a bang and pass in an essay before anyone’s expecting it.” Rick was grinning as he looked up at Daryl whose expression did not mirror his own.

“Hey, what’s up?” Rick asked while he finished packing his stuff. They waved at the girl and walked out the door. “Daryl?” Rick and Daryl stopped walking outside the door of the restaurant.

“ ‘s nothing. I’m fine,” Daryl answered gruffly not open to having a conversation about his emotional status at the moment. “See ya at school tomorrow.” He nodded at Rick and then started walking down the sidewalk.

“Hey, Daryl, wait up a minute.” Rick jogged over to him and scrambled to get a piece of paper and pen out of his bag. He bent over and tried to write on his leg but the pen ripped through the paper. “Shit. Sorry,” Rick laughed a little bit as he tripped over his words. “Here’s my number. Just call me or text me or somethin’ if you need help with the essay or anything, ‘kay?”

Daryl laughed and took the paper, folding it to cram in his pocket. “Will do. See ya later,” he said a resumed walking.

“Have a good night, Daryl,” Rick called after him. And as Daryl raised a hand to acknowledge him, he smiled. 

Daryl wasn’t in any particular rush to arrive back home to the empty trailer so he wandered, taking his time to make his way to outskirts of town. Daryl thought a lot about himself. He knew that he didn’t come across as the most intellectual or deep person but he couldn’t bring himself to care about that. It’s not like he had anyone to be deep or intellectual with. Solitude suited him; it’s a helluva lot harder to get too attached if you aren’t around anyone. 

As Daryl walked up to the trailer, he saw Merle’s motorcycle; a sight he hadn’t seen in a few weeks. It’d been a long day and listening to Merle and his company all night was not something Daryl was looking forward to. He walked past the trailer and into the woods beyond. After about fifteen minutes of walking in the woods, he arrived at the small shed he’d found when hunting one day. He opened the door and walked in.

The shed was one of the few things Daryl was grateful for. It was an escape and it was something that was his and his alone. When he’d found it, it was empty save a few dead mice. Over a period of a few weeks, he’d dragged his stuff out there: pillows, blankets, and most of his worldly goods. They were safer out here than in the trailer with Merle and the people he brought home.

Daryl slung his bag in the corner and lit the few candles he had, the few bits of furniture casting ghostly shadows on the walls. He flopped onto his makeshift bed and sat for a few minutes before grabbing his notebook out of his bag. Rick sure as hell didn’t need to know that Daryl had no way to type his essay. Daryl didn’t have a lot of pride but what little he did have wouldn’t let Rick know something so embarrassing. He could handwrite it just as well as Rick could type it. Normally, he wouldn’t give a damn what his peers thought of him but something about Rick made him care. Rick saw his potential, something no one else had bothered to. And as Daryl hand wrote his essay into the late hours of the night, he wondered why he cared so much what some kid at school thought about him.


End file.
